Aaron Kinda, owner of Artisan Fine Rug Care Studio in Watsonville, performs a color test as part of the cleaning process for a hand-made, silk rug at his newly opened business.

In a world increasingly moving toward industrialization, old-world craftsmen are disappearing from the fabric of society. Handmade items are vanishing from shelves, while machines are doing the jobs people once held.

Margaret Kinda and her son Aaron appreciate this, perhaps better than most. The two have opened a Watsonville business dedicated solely to cleaning Oriental rugs.

To hear them tell it, both the creation of the intricate, brilliantly colored rugs, and the ability to clean them safely, requires a skill and precision not possible from machines.

Aaron Kinda began cleaning rugs in 2001 when he came home from college and, while briefly living at home, began looking for work.

He got a job at Santa Cruz-based Talisman Restoration, working under David Walker, who is renowned nationally in fine rug circles as a master cleaner.

Kinda has been doing it since, and if things go according to plans, he’ll be doing it for the foreseeable future.

“It’s not something I consciously decided to do, but over time I fell in love with the work,” he said.

When he came home after a long day, he described the work to his mother, Margaret Kinda. He told her about the brilliant colors and swirling patterns of the rugs — and the detailed work that went into cleaning them.

Intrigued, she visited him several times at the shop.

“I got bitten by the bug,” she said, adding that she now owns so many rugs she has few places left to put them.

Together, Aaron and his mother decided they would go into business for themselves. They have been open at their Walker Street studio for three weeks, but had clients the minute they opened their doors.

In an industry that increasingly relies on large, industrial machines that Aaron Kinda compares to a car wash, Artisan Fine Rug Care Studio uses a different approach.

Cleaning these rugs — which are beautiful, intricate and in many cases very expensive — requires a detailed, personalized touch. Theirs is a process only employed by one other shop in the county.

“The way I see it, we are reviving a dying art,” said Margaret.

In her office, which is decorated by several colorful rugs, she has about 20 books, which she considers essential reading for the field. She added, however, that there are thousands more.

“It’s a subject you could study your whole life and still not know everything,” she said.

The cleaning process begins when each rug is “dusted,” where the technician uses a vacuum to out pull dust and dirt. This process can take hours.

Next, the structure of the rug is evaluated to determine the rug’s physical strengths and weaknesses. Then, each color is carefully evaluated so a detergent can be custom designed.

After the cleaning, drying can take up to three days.

Finally, the technician gives the rug a final check, going over every inch on hands and knees, followed by a final dusting.

The Kindas acknowledged that starting a business during difficult economic times was a concern, but pointed out that the nature of their clientele and the lack of similar specialty cleaners will help them survive.

“I love being able to help maintain that art so people can appreciate it for ages,” said Aaron. “People can bring their rugs to us and know they won’t get screwed up.”

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Artisan Fine Rug Care Studio picks up rugs, or accepts drop-offs, both by appoinjtment. For information, call 761-1393

























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